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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · sharp · wake · plane · wax · scale · cue · straw

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a signal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — size or range
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com